This invention relates in general to basketball equipment and, more particularly, to a basketball goal unit of shock-absorbing capability for installation upon basketball backboards.
In recent years, the advent of glass backboards in professional, college and high school basketball has produced a peculiar problem in that the backboards are occasionally known to shatter in a most dramatic manner when the glass plate of the backboard is exposed to the force of a particular scoring shot referred to as a "slam dunk" or merely "dunk" shot whereby the player, having jumped a sufficient height, is enabled to drive the basketball downwardly through the basket from a point immediately thereabove. In the course of performing this particular shot, a player will most consistently effect a most forceful contact with the basket by either slapping, hitting, or pulling upon same with his hands, wrists, or arms. This last mentioned contact with substantial consistency tends to be so forceful that the backboard which is recognizedly of temper-plate glass is stressed beyond its elastic limits and thus completely shatters. A glass backboard, as of the type used in professional, college and high school, is of an area of 24 square feet so that the quantity of broken glass which is sprayed about constitutes a hazard of serious proportions; providing both a potential to injury to the players as well as the spectators who are nearby. In addition to the marked possibility of personal injury, such damage represents severe economic loss in view of the need for replacement and the necessary re-installation. Moreover, such damage can also cause a cessation of the particular game with a disruption as to the rights of the ticket holders.
Heretofore, very limited efforts have been made to try to render backboards resistant to dunk damage and the lack of success of such few efforts has caused the problem to remain unsolved yet being deprecated by players and on-lookers alike. Among such unsatisfying efforts are the structures set forth in the U.S. Letters Pat. Nos. 4,111,420 and 4,191,734. These patents while revealing shock absorbing means, as of cylindrical nature, disclose pivotal mountings for the basketball goal. Thus, the goal is mounted for forward rocking about a hinged axis parallel to the plane of the backboard so that the goal will rock downwardly under the force of the dunk shot. Similarly, the goal is mounted for rockable movement as about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the backboard so that the goal is thereby free to rock laterally. In addition, these patents provide structure so that the entire backboard would be free to rock. It can be appreciated that these structures are of such complex character that the same cannot be easily and economically adopted for usage. The use of the same would necessitate a replacement of all existing backboards and this would represent an economical loss of infinite proportions. Consequently, these structures have not been adopted as the utilization is not economically feasible.
Another effort to prevent the destruction of basketball backboards through performance of the dunk shot is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,151,989, but admittedly the basketball goal shown therein is intended solely for practice purposes as it is located at the end of a cantilever boom which has associated shock absorbing members in its zone proximate the supporting upright. But manifestly, this device is not even suggested as being amenable for game purposes and furthermore does not incorporate any element corresponding to a backboard.
A more sophisticated and effective arrangement for absorbing the stresses coupled to the backboard itself is evidenced by U.S. Letters Pat. No. 4,320,896 which is specifically intended for use only with glass backboards. However, this arrangement does not attempt to resiliently isolate the basketball goal itself from the backboard. Also, it provides an arrangement whose utility is essentially limited to glass backboards and is not readily adaptable for use with various existing backboards.
In recent years, there have been developed arrangements for providing a spring-like coupling between the basketball goal and the backboard. These arrangements typically employ coil springs. When the goal is struck by a player, there is, of course, resultant movement relative to the backboard permitted by the spring or springs. Yet, upon deflection, the goal is permitted to snap back with a violent shock producing action to its original position. Therefore, even though the springs are intended to prevent damage to the backboard, they nevertheless permit breakage in some conditions.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved basketball goal unit of shock-absorbing character and which is readily usable with various types of backboards, whether such be metal, glass or synthetic.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of such a basketball goal unit which provides not only resilient but also shock-absorbing coupling between the basketball goal and the backboard whereby shock and damaging forces are effectively absorbed and damped before reaching the backboard to preclude their damaging transference between the goal and the backboard.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a shock absorbing basketball goal unit for a basketball backboard fabricated of shatterable material, such as glass, which may be easily and cheaply mounted upon existing backboards and which does not in any way alter the normal disposition of the basketball goal which is at all times rigidly presented in its customary, accepted manner.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a shock absorbing basketball goal unit for use with basketball goals which uniquely protect a frangible backboard against the normal destructive forces applied through the exercising of the dunk shot without modifying the backboard or the goal in any manner as to cause the goal to be misplaced or to be displacable from its usual manner of presentation.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a shock absorbing basketball goal unit for basketball backboards which comprises a marked paucity of parts, all of which are of simple construction and of extreme durability so that replacement of any of such components is of marked unlikelihood.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a shock absorbing basketball goal unit for basketball backboards which provides no element of interference with the usual playing of the game of basketball; the components of which unit may be most economically manufactured; which units are extremely reliable in usage; and which units may be installed upon existing backboards without the necessity of engaging highly skilled individuals.